... Geekbert.

Private insurance companies are not in business to benefit policyholders, but to enrich shareholders and executives. The companies in jeopardy would be wise to form a cooperative to attend their indemnification needs. Call it open sourced insuring.

... that doesn't explain my dread of robotic bartenders.

... more likely, since this is just a rehash of what's available for Windows and iOS, it's more substatively a reflection of Microsoft's pathological fear of change, driven by the company being managed by individuals unwilling to confront their own mortality. "Hope I die before I get old ..."

Interestingly, though, the $725 commitment sold out rather quickly, while the higher price points languish.

... corporate buy-in, is where the campaign is really lacking. Numbers would rack up much faster with a few $80,000 committments. But business has been burned before by vaporware and a nearly year-long, (if everything goes according to plan), wait to get any return on the investment is a very, very hard sell.

It is a measure of human hubris that we fail to note the fact of animal intelligence that leads to their mimicing us. Another common example of this is the tendency of cats to become vocal and develop novel utterances as a result of observing human speech and interaction. Any keen observer will note that cats. left on their own will not develop such behavior. Upon observing and interacting with humans, at first a cat will simply meow in an utterly feline way, but then it will begin to experiment with varous gargling and purr/meow vocalizations. Finally, of course, there's the famous "silent meow", performed solely for the benefit of a human audience.

Given free reign, most authoritarians will opt for the most egregious display of power they can muster. Their goal is to intimidate all who might question or oppose them, even within their own ranks or among their allies. Of course, such as an Edward Snowden is to be nipped in the bud. Furthering this agenda is the fact that SWAT teams burn huge amounts of money on each outing, requiring larger budgets and thereby aggregating more power to the commanders. It is a vicious circle owned and managed by those who profit from it. Unfortunately, that condition has developed in many of society's institutions, such as Wall Street or Congress.

Whether excessive medical tests or excessive surveillance, the minions happily promote it to ensure their job security. If the patient or the society suffers, well, that's okay. Perhaps a bit regrettable, but okay.

Ultimately, a society that strenuously promotes competition also engenders a mercenary attitude. So, you see, the excesses of Wall Street are not that far removed from the excesses of the NSA, or Microsoft, to pick but a very few examples.

Analysis and logical thought are more than sidelined by media and society; they're actively discouraged. "News" organizations that push innuendo and fabrications as fact, advertising that teaches flash and dazzle trump substance, constant distraction touted as a desirable lifestyle, all lead to minds challenged by any concrete logic. It takes a village to create a scientist.